It is good to be back into the flow our our weekly communal spiritual practices during the Easter season. This week we look to the texts from the Revised Common Lectionary for the third week of Easter.

Monday

11:00am | Text Study – Zoom

Tuesday

11:00am | Contemplative Practice – OCC Meditation Chapel and on Zoom

Wednesday

11:00am | Service of Holy Communion – Chapel of the Incarnation or on YouTube. This service is planned and led by students. Nathan Adu-Gyamfi is preaching and Pastor Joyce Ngandango is presiding.

11:45am | Chapel Cafe – Luther Cafe

Thursday

11:00am | Lunch Church – Dining Room A

A Reflection on the Readings

The Readings from the Revised Common Lectionary:

Acts 2:14a, 36–41
Psalm 116:1–4, 12–19
1 Peter 1:17–23
Luke 24:13–35

We continue this week with the words of Peter in the first and second readings. He addresses the crowd on the day of Pentecost, then he writes to his persecuted people in the letter. One theme from these readings is the great blessing that comes from God’s salvation which is poured out through Jesus. We have been rescued from old, destructive patterns, and have been made new, born into a new life, sprouting from imperishable seeds. The fruit of this new life is love. Let us love one another deeply.

The Gospel reading tells the story of the resurrected Jesus joining some disciples as they return home to Emmaus after the discouraging events of Jesus’ crucifixion. They are defeated and disillusioned. They do not recognize Jesus. He walks with them and shows them how the crucifixion of Jesus simply continues, and fulfills, the narrative of the Hebrew scripture, from Moses to the prophets. The disciples invite the stranger to eat with them. In the breaking of bread Jesus is revealed.

We, too, have the opportunity each day to invite Jesus to the table. We have the opportunity to be people of hospitality to the stranger. As we break bread together, as we love one another, including the stranger, we will see Jesus among us. May we walk in this freedom today.